Staff Reports
DECATUR – The Piedmont Bulldogs split their Class 3A second-round baseball playoff doubleheader at Decatur Heritage on Friday. The third-ranked Bulldogs won the first game 7-2, but then lost a heartbreaker in the second by the final of 5-4 in 10 innings.
Game 3 is scheduled for noon on Saturday in Decatur.
In game one, Piedmont (23-7) took a 5-0 lead through the end of the sixth inning before the Eagles finally got on the board. They scored a pair of runs to make it a 5-2 game after six innings.
The Bulldogs added a pair of insurance runs on Max Hanson’s two-run single in the top of the seventh for the final.
In game two, No. 10 Decatur Heritage (18-13) built a 3-0 lead before the Bulldogs battled back. They scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on McLane Mohon’s RBI-single. He also scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-2.
Piedmont tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hanson drew a one-out walk, then Jack Hayes reached on an infield single. Kale Austin delivered a RBI-double to tie the score at 3 and force extra innings.
Decatur Heritage regained the lead at 4-3 in the top of the eighth with a run on a sacrifice fly, but then Piedmont’s Trevor Pike tied the game again at 4 with his leadoff double. He scored on a wild pitch two outs to extend the game to the ninth.
It wasn’t until the 10th inning when the Eagles took the lead on a leadoff home run. The Bulldogs couldn’t score in the bottom half, which forces today’s rubber game.
The winner will face top-ranked Gordo in next weekend’s third round. Gordo swept Hokes Bluff in other second-round playoff action on Friday.